Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Construction Progress Report and Farm Tour

The new farm continues to be a construction zone. I look forward to the day that this ends, however at this point that feels like it is a very long time away. Jason and I were talking about the fence last week and about how we would really like to paint it. Originally we planned to start painting fence either this week or next week.

As we were discussing this last week I told Jason that I just could not handle having yet another large project on my plate. This is a role reversal for us. I tend to be an energizer bunny and the queen of multi-tasking, and it is not in my nature to think that I can't get something done. Usually Jason is the one trying to be the voice of reason and he helpfully points out to to me that there are only 24 hours in a day and at least a few of them need to be spent sleeping. This is why we make a good team. I'm the cheerleader and the "we can get this done" type and Jason is the one looking at things from a realistic point of view and making sure we only sign up for the things we can actually get done.

Thus we had a role reversal where Jason was talking about painting the fence and I told him I just couldn't buy into that project right now. This shocked Jason. After a lifetime of living with myself I'm finally starting to acknowledge what my weaknesses are (no doubt Jason will sleep better tonight knowing that I am finally realizing that I actually have weaknesses, haha). If I committed to painting the fence then you could take it to the bank that the fence was going to get painted, even if it meant I was out in the pastures at 3am with the paint sprayer. It is just who I am, I cannot stand unfinished projects and unmet goals. Since I don't actually have any desire to be outside painting the fence at 3am, and that is pretty much the only spot in my schedule I have available these days, fence painting is just going to have to wait. What a relief to not even be thinking about that anymore.

Speaking of fence we are the proud new owners of even more fence. I've attempted to do a farm tour in pictures of the new farm below, showing our latest fence projects and attempting to describe where the pastures will be located.

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This view is looking back towards the road and shows the projects already completed. In addition to fence there are five different buildings in this picture. Three run-in sheds, one barn and one hay barn. From the point at which I took this picture to the road it is 2,000 feet.

Same picture as above taken without zooming in

This picture is taken from the same place as the above two pictures but facing the opposite direction. This is the starting point for our latest round of fence building. We have this small stream to cross over and our driveway will continue for an additional 1,300 feet. The driveway will not extend all the way to the back property line but it will go all the way to the gate of the rear pasture.When we paid for all of the "beautiful" bulldozer work a few weeks ago Jason made sure that this giant old oak tree was left alone.

Just past the oak tree shown above there is a gate to the left that takes you into this pasture.As we continue down the driveway there is another pasture on the right behind the trees lining the driveway.

As we go around a curve in the driveway you can see the break in the treeline and the entrance into that pasture on the right.

The driveway continues around another curve . . .

. . . and we continue past the same two pastures, one on each side of the driveway.

We come to the end of the drivewayWe have fenced off a large rectangular area at the end of the driveway that will be the future home of another barn and another hay barn.

Directly behind the area we have fenced off for the future barn and future hay barn is a third pasture. There will be a fourth pasture off to the left that is hard to see in this picture.

Most of our major fencing projects are now complete. In about another week construction work will move on from fence building and it will be time to build run-in sheds. Of course we also need to gravel the driveway, run water lines and run electricity. After all that we will start on the second barn. At some point, although probably not this year, we want to build a second hay barn. Ideally we would like to have two hay barns and have enough capacity to store store a year's worth of hay. Oh, and in addition to all of this we need to care for the horses, do a 2nd cutting of hay, and tend to all of the routine work that comes with running a farm. You can see now why I bailed on the plan for painting the fence. At some point even I just have to say NO!!

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Clay

Spike, Thor, O'Reilly and LuckyMaisie and Lily having a grooming session

11 comments:

Your fence pictures are almost as beautiful as your horse pictures. They're SO STRAIGHT!!

Doesn't it make you feel like a real grown-up when you actually acknowledge that perhaps you can't do something right now? I am also convinced that I can do everything at once, and every now and then I have a moment where I realize I can't. Grats :)

Overall, an ambitious , well-thought-out and -realized project--the whole farm! At what point will you have all the horses there on the new place, and consider yourselves totally relocated? And I still don't see any mention of human-housing...

We definitely plan to build a house for us at some point. However once we're done with major projects for the horses Jason and I have agreed we won't be building ANYTHING for awhile!

EvenSong we aren't quite sure when we will be finished moving horses. As far as we're concerned the sooner that is the better, it is so much easier to do all the daily, routine work at the new farm because it is laid out in a much more work friendly way.

Looks awesome! You guys are deffinantly the role model for a retirement farm... the animals always look well cared for and the picture updates are a great thing.

Raphy- I have a mare that hates any ointments or other sunscreen products being put on her face. I got one of the cashell crusader fly masks with the long nose. this is the first summer she has not burned. I highly reccomend them!